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Noah Leigh
Noah Leigh is an at-large representative on the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District school board in Wisconsin. Leigh won a first term in the at-large general election on April 4, 2017.
Leigh participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
Biography
Leigh is a virologist at the City of Milwaukee Health Department. Leigh earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Ripon College and master's degrees in epidemiology and cell biology from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He and his wife have two children.[1]
Elections
2017
Three of the nine seats on the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District school board were up for at-large general election on April 4, 2017. In their bids for re-election to the board, incumbents Dan Bailey, Diane Narlock, and Gail Radonski ran against challengers Brian Keller and Noah Leigh.[2] Bailey won re-election to the board, and Keller and Leigh won the other two seats on the ballot.[3]
Results
| West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, At-large General Election, 3-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Noah Leigh |
22.73% | 4,455 |
| Brian Keller |
22.61% | 4,431 |
| Dan Bailey Incumbent |
18.51% | 3,627 |
| Diane Narlock Incumbent | 18.23% | 3,573 |
| Gail Radonski Incumbent | 17.92% | 3,513 |
| Total Votes | 19,599 | |
| Source: West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, "School Board Election Results," accessed April 19, 2017 | ||
Funding
Leigh filed an exemption statement detailing he would not spend or receive more than $2,000 toward his campaign. Because of this, he did not have to file additional campaign finance reports.[4]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Noah Leigh participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[5] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on February 26, 2017:
| “ | I am running for school board because I want to ensure that our children have the same access to quality education that I had, while adding more vocational training so that our children can find a profession that is best for them. I also believe that recruiting and retaining qualified teachers to the district is vital to the district’s long term success. In addition, careful planning for the direction of the district, fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers, and celebrating our diversity are key tenets to ensuring our district can thrive. Lastly, as a member of the school board, I will ensure that the level of transparency and communication that community member's demand is met, and pledge that I will seek community input regarding board items to ensure that ALL of my decisions keep the best interests of the entire district in the forefront. As a parent of children in the district, a husband to a teacher, and a taxpayer I think I can bring a unique perspective to the school board that is currently lacking. I am committed to the success of the district and will work hard to make the district’s potential a reality.[6][7] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Wisconsin. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | Giving the students in our district the best possible education is my number one priority and I think that starts with quality teachers. However, I understand that these goals need to be accomplished by utilizing tax dollars effectively and efficiently. Spending on unproven programs or initiatives needs to be avoided.[7] | ” |
| —Noah Leigh (February 26, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| Yes. Assuming that any charter school would adhere to the educational expectations of the district, I believe that charter schools can provide specialized programs that can fill a need that could not be accomplished using a traditional public school method due to cost or other restrictions. I think that districts should use charter schools to fill those needs and thus be able to retain resident students |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Cyclical standardized tests (MAP, FORWARD, etc) provide a good measure of student GROWTH, not achievement. Tests such as the ACT or SAT provide a snapshot of what a student can recall on that given day, but does not provide a good overall metric for determining that student's achievement. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Offer additional training options. Offer additional training options. Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. Performance based pay, or merit pay increases could work as long as standard of living increases also still exist. If all staff have access to performance based increases, and can earn them through specific avenues - such as additional education, certifications, or consistently high ratings through Educator Effectiveness - then I could see how it could work. I hesitate to go "all in" on performance based pay since many will try to tie a teacher's performance to that of their students - which I do not believe should be the case at all. I would like to hear from the teachers in regards to any merit based pay plans that the district would be considering before making any final decisions. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. Voucher schools are definitely a challenge for the district in that they are siphoning off dollars that could be used in our schools. As a district, we need to provide comparable programming as these other schools to ensure that families remain in the district. However, I am against any school that does not require certified teachers to teach the students and would be in opposition to state support going to schools without certified teachers. I also believe that if tax dollars are being given to voucher or charter schools that those schools must be held to the same educational standards and have similar policies to ensure that students are not discriminated against. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| I believe that expulsion should be used as a method of last resort. All other methods need to be exhausted first, except in cases of criminal misconduct such as felonies or threats against teachers or administration. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers Teachers are the backbone on which our district rests. Without quality, dedicated teachers this district will fail. It is also important to maintain the continuity of the teaching staff as this has been proven to improve student outcomes. No matter what curriculum that you have, how small the class sizes are, or how supportive the administration is, if you do not have teachers that have bought in to the district strategies and are passionate about what they do then success will be a struggle to achieve. |
Candidate website
Leigh highlighted why he ran for school board on his campaign website:
| “ | So I think it is important to state why I am running and what things that I would like to work on if elected.
First, I am a father of children in the district and a taxpayer, so any decisions that I make on the board will effect me just as much as it will you. We are all in this together and that is the mentality I will bring with me when I am elected. I think that board members should have children in the district and thus have "skin in the game". Few current board members have children in the district and I think that can have an impact on the decisions the board makes regarding the education of our children. My son Micah is in 1st grade at Wilson Elementary and my daughter Felicity will be entering 4K at Wilson Elementary this coming fall. I have a vested interest in ensuring that the district is in the best possible position for the foreseeable future. I also have a better understanding of the education system since I am married to a teacher and this combined with my experience having children in the district gives me a unique perspective that I can bring to the board. I also want to have a stronger influence on the direction of the district by serving on the school board. I served on the Attendance Advisory Committee that was tasked with coming up with a viable plan for attendance rules in the district and this gave me a first hand look on how some decisions are made. I have also seen how sometimes the school board makes decisions without input from the community. Transparency and communication with the community as a whole is paramount to ensuring that the board can make informed decisions regarding the district and if elected, I will strive to ensure that this is the standard moving forward. A little about myself. I was born in Fond du lac, WI and grew up in Berlin, WI where I attended school K-12. It was my preparation in the Berlin School system that prepared me for my future success in post-secondary school and I am a firm believer that the experience our children have in school plays a direct role in their success after they move on after graduation. I then attended Ripon College for my undergraduate degree where I met my wonderful wife Daphne. I graduated in 2004 from Ripon with a Bachelor’s in Biology. I then moved to Milwaukee to attend the Medical College of Wisconsin for graduate school where I received a Master’s of Science in Epidemiology in 2006. I married my wife Daphne in 2007, which is the same year I purchased my home in West Allis. I then returned to school at the Medical College, and earned a Master’s of Science in Cell Biology in 2010. I continued working at the Medical College until 2015 doing basic science research, but after working in academia for over 10 years I decided to make a career change. I accepted a position from the city of Milwaukee Health Department and currently work there as a Virologist. Since moving to West Allis I have tried to give back to the community in several ways. First, I became the Neighborhood Watch Block captain for my block, a position I have held for the last several years. I also am a volunteer coach for youth sports and have coached t-ball, soccer, and flag football. My family is also a member of the Wilson PTA and I continue to volunteer my time at PTA events held at Wilson Elementary. I am running for school board because I want to ensure that our children have the same access to quality education that I had, while adding more vocational training so that our children can find a profession that is best for them. As a member of the school board, I will ensure that the level of transparency and communication that any parent would demand is met. After living here for almost 10 years, I have seen the strengths of the community and I will add to those strengths by serving our children on the school board. I also think that recruitment and retainment of not only teaching talent but also students is vital for the district. We have seen a lot of good teachers leave our district for various reasons, but none more common than better pay. With the current financial situation in the district, simply offering more money to teachers is not an option. Therefore, we need to come up with creative ways to offer other non-monetary benefits for teachers to work in the district. Since my wife is a teacher, I am familiar with the issues that teachers face and can also draw from her experience to help come up with other creative solutions. On the same note, we have seen the enrollment in our district contract this last year and the projections for the next three years also predicts further reductions in enrollments. This will further hurt our financial situation and result in loss of programs if changes are not made. If elected, I plan to push to keep all of our current programs such as art and technology that are in danger of being cut due to budget issues. I will support responsible solutions to our funding problems that would include grant applications. I also think that the district should look into programs for students who are not interested in college. The district has many college prep courses and programs but there is very little available for those interested in going into the trades or other vocations that don't require a four-year degree. The landscape of higher education is changing and obtaining a four-year degree is no longer a requirement, and in some instances, is detrimental for students. Providing more options for students in our district will ensure that our students go into the fields that are right for them and can also provide a reason for more students to enroll in our district. These are a few of my ideas for things I would like to pursue if elected. Please let me know if anyone has any questions regarding them, or ideas of their own that may make them better.[7] |
” |
| —Noah Leigh (January 5, 2017)[8] | ||
Greenfield West Allis Now survey
Leigh participated in a survey conducted by the Greenfield West Allis Now. The questions provided by the Greenfield West Allis Now appear bolded, and Leigh's responses follow below.
School discipline has been raised as a concern, what do you think might be done to keep better order in the classroom?
| “ | It is important to have cohesive behavior policies so that all students are aware of the expectations and consequences. Once behavior becomes disruptive to the learning of others, teachers should be able to rely on their administrative teams for further action, leaving the teacher to focus on the remaining students.[7] | ” |
| —Noah Leigh (March 20, 2017)[9] | ||
School achievement is another concern; do you support any initiatives in that area?
| “ | Achievement in our schools is paramount to the success of students in our district and is a main determining factor when prospective parents are searching for a new home. Initiatives such as NxGL and STEM have certainly met with some success, however, these initiatives may not work at every school.[7] | ” |
| —Noah Leigh (March 20, 2017)[9] | ||
Aside from those two issues, do you think the schools need to take a new approach in any area, or is the board on the right track and why?
| “ | The board needs to be better at communicating transparently. Often times decisions are made or topics discussed with little notice. The board also needs to have more forethought regarding the consequences of its decisions. For example, the Lincoln closure should have been anticipated before the 70th St. buildings were sold.[7] | ” |
| —Noah Leigh (March 20, 2017)[9] | ||
See also
- West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, Wisconsin
- West Allis-West Milwaukee School District elections (2017)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Vote Noah Leigh for WAWM School Board, "About," accessed March 23, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Suzette Zimmerman," January 4, 2017
- ↑ West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, "School Board Election Results," accessed April 19, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Suzette Zimmerman, Executive Assistant to the Board and the Superintendent of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District," March 28, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Noah Leigh's responses," February 26, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Facebook, "Noah Leigh post from January 5, 2017," accessed March 14, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Greenfield West Allis Now, "West Allis School Board candidates differ on discipline," March 20, 2017
| West Allis-West Milwaukee School District elections in 2017 | |
| Milwaukee County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Dan Bailey • Incumbent, Diane Narlock • Incumbent, Gail Radonski • Brian Keller • Noah Leigh |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
